|
|
 |
| |
|
Home > Travel Italy > Italy Destinations > Siracusa
Siracusa
Italy, officially the Italian Republic or Repubblica Italiana, is a Southern European country comprising of the Po River valley, the Italian Peninsula and the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. It is shaped like a boot and for this reason Italians commonly call it lo Stivale, the boot or, due to its prevalent peninsular geographical nature, la Penisola, the Peninsula.
Siracusa is an Italian city on the eastern shore of Sicily and the capital of the province of Siracusa. The greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all, the ancient core of Siracusa is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List. The area of what is today Siracusa has been inhabited since very olden times, as shown by the findings in the villages of Stentinello, Ognina, Plemmirio, Matrensa, Cozzo Pantano and Thapsos, which already had relationship with Mycenaean Greece.
Siracusa maintained the status of capital of the Roman government of Sicily and seat of the praetor. It remained a significant port for the trades between the eastern and the western parts of the empire. The city in the following centuries was struck by two ruinous earthquakes in 1542 and 1693, and, in 1729, by a plague. After the Unification of Italy of 1865, Siracusa regained its standing of provincial capital. In 1870 the walls were demolished and a bridge connecting the mainland to Ortygia Island was built. In the following year a railway link was constructed.
Presently, Siracusa has about 125,000 inhabitants and several attractions for the visitor interested in historical sites such as the Ear of Dionysius. A process of recovering and restoring the historical centre has been ongoing since the 1990s. The nearby places of note include Catania, Noto, Modica and Ragusa. Siracusa is a city with endless recreational opportunities, rich history, and modern day luxuries.
Back to Italy Destinations
|
|
|
|
|
|
|